Oiler for metal-casting machines



Aug. 2%, 11923. v HASfiJiZS 1 c. F. FAUPEL OILER Fda METAL CASTING MACHINES Filed June 18, 1921. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. F. FAUPEL OILER FOR METAL CASTING MACHINES- Filed June 18, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

naa-

'onaanns r. rAUrEL,

OIL'ER non. METAL- OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CASTING MACHINES.

Application filed. June 18, 1921. Serial No. 478,581,

7 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. FAUPEL, acitizen of the United States, and resident f Chicago, in the county of Cook and State f Illinois, have invented new and useful improvements in Oilers for Metal-Casting Nlachines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this it specification.

This inventionhas for its object to provide means for introducing lubricant to the molten metal stream of a metal casting machine with such uniform distribution thereof that the product will be free from irregularities in its surface that are usually caused by a too liberal supply of oil or an uneven distribution of oil.

In the casting of continuous metal strips by intermittently foroin molten metal through a cooled die or mo d, it is necessary to introduce a lubricant into the stream of metal flowing to the mold to prevent the product dhering to the mold, and the prin- 2 cipal difiiculty in obtaining a uniform product with smooth faces free from cavities is in properly controlling thequantity of Oll introduced in this manner and in securing" an even distribution of it throughout the sectional. area of the product. p

The present invention seeks to overcome these difliculties by introducing the lubricant in the form of vapor instead of in a liquid form, as has been the usual practice.

With this end in View the invention provides for introducing the lubricant from a heated vaporizer in measured quantities and in a vaporous state so that it becomes uniformly distributed throughout the stream 4% of metal and commingles therewith as a homogeneous mixture that results in a strip with perfectly smooth surfaces.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in a lubricator for t5 metal casting machines as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate similar parts in different views: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the neck portion of a metal casting machine showing a lubricator constructed in accordance with this invention applied' thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; and,

Fig, 3 is a transverse sectional View on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings 10 represents the usual melting pot having the intermittently operated plunger '11 working in the cylinder 12 to force the molten metal received through opening 13 through the passageway 14 in the neck 15 of the machine. A die or mold 16 coo-led by a water jacket 17 is provided at the end of the neck 15 as usual, and suitable means not shown is provided for intermittently drawing out the metal strip 18 in unisonwith the forcing of additional metal into the passageway by the plunger. The neck .15 is heated by burners 19 as usualso that the metal will enter the mold, at the desired temperature, it being understood that in its passage through the mold it becomes chilled and hardens progressively during the periods of rest between the feeding operations.

In order to prevent the metal from adhering to the mold or being marred by its frictional engagement with the walls of the mold, it is necessaryv to introduce lubricant to it just before itenters the mold, and this has usually been done by means of a tube entering the passageway 14 and provided with a check .valve on its end to prevent the pressure on the metal forcing the metal to enter the tube. The liquid oil or grease has been fed-through the tube, and its introduction has dependedupon the" induction action of the current of metal past the end of the lube so that the action is very irregular, and the quantity of lubricant introduced varies and. is occasionally insufficient and at other times in excess. \Vith this invention the lubricant introducingtube 20 is used, being threaded through the neck 15 just ahead of the die 16, and is provided with a valve 21 which is operated mecha'ni-V cally from a moving part of the machine,

as will be later described. 1

A set nut 22 fixes the tube in its adjusted position at the desired depth in the passageway 14. Threaded on the tube above'the set nut 22 is an oil chamber 23, and on top of the oil chamber is a pipe 24 surrounding 24 and vapor chamber 25 to the same level as in the cup 27. The upper end of tube 20 is slightly above this level so that only the oil vapor in the upper part of the vapor' chamber 25 is forced down the tube 20 when.

and bearing on the lever.

the diaphragm 26 is depressed to open valve 21 Valve 21 is of a conical shape seating upwardly against a correspondingly shaped valve seat in the bottom of tube 20 and its stem 21 passes up through the tube 20 and through the diaphragm 26 with nuts 30 threaded on it above and below the diaphragm so as to tightly clamp the diaphragm between them and form a gas-tight connection therewith.

A lever 31, fulcrumed in cars 32 on one side of the vapor chamber 25 and guided between ears 33 on the other side thereof, has connection with the valve stem 29 by having said stem pass through an opening thereof with a nut 34 threaded on the stem The lever thus serves to depress the flexible diaphragm 26 to displace -oil vapor and force it down the tube 20 at the same time the valve 21 is moved off of its seat. The lever 31 may be operated in any desired manner but it is preferably connected by means of a rod 35 with a bell crank 36 which is operated by a cam 37 on the shaft of the machine, in this view (Fig. 1) shown at right angles to its usual position for the sake of convenience,

The oil chamber and vapor chamber are surrounded by a jacket through which the heat from the burners is conducted so that the oil willbe vaporized. An asbestos lined sheet metal covering 38 bridges over the neck 15 of the machine and a vertical flue 39 is mounted thereon and connects at its lower end with an opening through the cov- .ering 38 so as to conduct ,the heated air therefrom. A similar metal jacket or casing 40 stands on the covering 38 and embraces the flue 39. Openings 41 are formed in the flue guarded by swingingdampers 42 to deflect the heated air from the line through the casing 40 around the oil chamher and vapor chamber and then back to the flue, as shown by arrows in Fig. 1.

,Crank arms 43 on the dampers are connected by a connecting rod 44 that they move together to permit of their being opened more or less to obtain the desired temperature within the casing.

A drain pipe 45 is tapped into the lower part of theoil chamber 23 and passes out through the casing where it is provided with a cook 46 by means of which the oil may be drained from the oil-chamber and Vapor chamber and from the feed tube 28 whenever it is found necessary to remove the lubricator.

In operation the throw of the bell crank lever 36 by cam 37 to depress the diaphragm- 26 and open valve 21, is produced during the time the plunger makes its upward stroke. This causes the vapor to be drawn into the passageway bythe suction of plunger and the displacement caused by the diaphragm. The valve closes again before the endof the upward stroke of the plunger and the metal is therefore not forced into the tube 20 during the downward strokeof the plunger} There is no danger of air being sucked into the passageway 14, for the vapor chamber is airtight and the U- bend formed by the pipe 28, oil chamber 23 and pipe 24 forms a trap that prevents the admission of air to the vapor chamber. Only the vapor rising above the level of the oil in the vapor chamber as the result of the heat to which the lubricator is subjected may pass down through the tube 2t), and consequently it only oil vapor that is introduced to the stream of metal and in this form it isquickly taken up by the metal so as to be evenly distributed throughout the section of the strip, so that the strip slides readily through the mold.

As there is no oil in liquid form introduced and no air admitted, there are no blow holes or cavities formed in the strip but it is of a homogeneous composition throughout its sectional area and has an even, smooth surface.

It is obvious that while details of con-1 struction of the oiler have been given for the purpose of fully explainingthe invention, these may be modified in various respects without departing from the inven tion.

What I claim as my invention isi 1. In a machine for forming metal objects by forcing molten metal through a die, a means for introducing lubricant to the stream of molten metal to facilitate its travel through the die, comprising a vapor chamber containing oil vapor, and a pipe leading therefrom to the stream of molten metal.

2. In a metal casting machine for producing a metal strip by forcing a stream of molten metal through a cooling die in successive operations, alubricator for introducing lubricant to the stream of molten metal to facilitate the travel of the strip through the die, comprising a vapor chamber contai;:i11g oil vapor and a valved pipe leading therefrom to the stream of molten metal.

3. In a machine for forming a metal strip by forcing molten metal through a cooling die by successive impulses, a lubricator for introducing lubricant to the stream of metal to facilitate the travel of the metal strip through the die, comprising a vapor chamber containing oil vapor, a pipe leading therefrom to the stream of metal, a suitably operated valve controlling the passageway through the pipe, and means operating with the valve for forcing oil vapor from the chamber through the pipe.

4. In a machine for formin metal by forcin cooling die, a ubricator for introducing lubricant to the stream of metal to cause it to pass freely through the die, comprising a vapor chamber containing oil vapor, a tube leading therefrom to the stream of metal, and means for forcing the oil vapor from the vapor chamber through the tube into the metal stream.

5. A machine for forming a metal strip by forcing molten metal through a cooling die, a lubricator comprising a vapor chamber containing oil vapor, a tube'leading therea strip of from to the stream of metal, and a suitably operated diaphragm on the vapor chamber for displacing the oil vapor therefrom and forcing it through the tube to the stream of metal.

6. In a machine for producing a metal strip .by forcing molten metal through a forming die in successive operations, a lubricator comprising a vapor chamber containing oil va'por, a tube leading'therefrom to the stream of metal, a valve for closing the discharge end of the tube, a diaphragm on the vapor chamber having the valve connected therewith, and suitably \operated means for depressin the diaphragm to open the valve and-displace the oilvapor and force it into the stream of metal.

7. Ina metal castin machine forproduca lubricator for introducing lubricant to the stream of metal, comprising a tube entering the stream of'metal, a valve for closing the end thereof and passing through the tube, an oil chamber surrounding the tube, means for supplying oil thereto under a head, a vapor chamber connected with the oil chamber to receive oil therefrom and havin the level of oil therein below the end of the tube, a diaphragm closing the vapor chamber and having the valve connected there-.

with, means for heating the oil in the'vapor molten meta through a chamber for producing an oil vapor above the oil level, and means for depressing the diaphragm for opening the valve and displacing the oil vapor.

8. In a metal basting machine for producing metal strips by forcing molten metal through a cooling die, a lubricator comprising a tube entering the stream of metal, a vapor chamber supplied with oil and having communication above the oil level with the tube, a heating casing surrounding the vapor chamber, means for directing hot air through the heating casing to vaporize the oil within the vapor chamber, and means for discharging the oil vapor through the tube into the stream of metal.

9. In a metal casting machine havin a neck portion through which molten meta is forced to a cooling die for producing'metal strips, a lubricator for introducing lubricant to the stream of molten -metal, comprising' a tube entering the neck portion, a vapor chamber providedwith means for maintaining a level of oil therein and for preventing the admission of air and having communication above the oil level with: the tube, a coveri for the neck, burners beneath the neck, a ue member communicating with the cover to take the hot air therefrom, v afcasducing metal strips by forcin molten'metal through a cooling die, the method 'of'lubricating which consists in forcing a lubricant vapor into the molten metal as it passes throu h the cooling die.

11. n a castingmachine for producing a metal stripby forcing a stream of molten metal through a cooling die, the method of lubricating which consists in heatin oil in an enclosed chamber to produce a In ricant vapor and then forcing such lubricant vapor into the stream of' molten metaL.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of'two witnesses.

I CHARLES r. FAUPEL.

Witnesses: WAnLAon Eno'rz, 'J. DAsoWnR. 

